AHL: Review of the Western Conference Playoffs

McKeen's looks at the key prospects that participated in the AHL's Western Conference playoffs including players from the Iowa Stars, Milwaukee Admirals, Chicago Wolves and Kyle Chipchura and the Hamilton Bulldogs, who will represent the Western Conference in the Calder Cup Finals, as they take on the defending-AHL champions and No.1 ranked Hershey Bears.

Matt Niskanen (Dal), D, Iowa Stars

Quickly adjusted to the pro game and has excelled in all situations while receiving icetime five-on-five, on the powerplay, and on the penalty kill .. a swift skating and highly skilled offensive defenseman with great feet and magnetic hands .. blessed with superior vision, as he makes a great first pass and can quarterback the powerplay with impressive creativity .. scored a beautiful unassisted-goal on the pk, as he anticipated then intercepted the oppositions pass leading to a breakaway where he undressed the goaltender before going top shelf.

Mark Fistric (Dal), D, Iowa Stars

Heady, stay-at-home defenseman that never makes a mistake with or without the puck .. owns good feet for a big man and is surprisingly fast, as he can elude the opposition with his deceptive straight away speed .. displays exceptional defensive positioning and awareness .. does not own a mean streak, but he uses his big frame very well to contain his man one-on-one .. offensively limited though, as he often elects to move the puck safely east to west, instead of moving it up the ice however, he never turns it over with an errant pass.

Konstantin Pushkarev (Dal), RW, Iowa Stars

Displayed his quick feet with swift agility and competed well, as he won some important one-on-one battles that while they did not show up on the stat sheet, they did directly lead to goals .. sees the ice well and moves the puck with decent creativity, although he needs to shoot more .. fore-checked aggressively and finished his checks but did not come back with as much effort in the defensive end.

Joel Lundqvist (Dal), RW, Iowa Stars

Extremely savvy two-way player that should stay in the NHL permanently next season .. he has a complete game on both sides of the puck and should make a good third-liner in the NHL that can also contribute to the penalty-killing units .. offensively, his hands and speed are adequate but his ability to see the ice and find the open man with a pass that is his best attribute.

Loui Eriksson (Dal), LW, Iowa Stars

There are shades of Marian Hossa in him but he is not the same dominant player he was earlier in the season .. still owns a strong stride and exceptional balance .. does a good job along the wall and protects the puck very well .. hands are soft and his wristshot explodes off his stick, making him a dangerous threat to score when coming down the wing.

Cal O'Reilly (Nsh), C, Milwaukee Admirals

Blessed with supple hands and creativity, O'Reilly had a good rookie season but was ultimately ineffective in the more physical and defense-oriented playoff games .. tries too many high-risk, high-reward plays up the middle that will drive a coach nuts.

Ville Koistinen (Nsh), D, Milwaukee Admirals

More talented and NHL ready than second-round pick Kevin Klein .. possesses great feet and he pivots effortlessly .. has a soft pair of mitts and he sees the ice exceptionally well, as he makes a great first pass and is effective distributing the puck while quarterbacking the powerplay .. has a stocky frame and is tough to beat one-on-one with his deceptive strength and superb defensive positioning.

Rich Peverley (Nsh), F, Milwaukee Admirals

One of those late-bloomers, that could end up contributing in the NHL in the near future .. has a quick and strong stride with rapid acceleration .. hands are soft and he has a great eye for making things happen while passing the puck.

Jordan LaVallee (Atl), LW, Chicago Wolves

Has the ideal frame for a power forward .. first-step quickness still needs to be improved but he owns a commanding gear once he gains momentum and is a real "freight train a coming" .. beginning to use his size more away from the puck to win one-on-one battles .. owns a quick release with impressive velocity and ever-improving accuracy .. was used in front of the net on the powerplay where he did a good job drawing the opposition's attention to open up the ice for his teammates .. should see some time in the NHL next season.

Brett Sterling (Atl), RW, Chicago Wolves

A natural finisher that can get open in close near the net and then finish with the best of them .. always seems to be open on the back door .. goes straight to the net area and has a knack for scoring goals in close .. committed to his defensive assignments and can play the role of the pest, as he is willing to get his nose dirty.

Nathan Oystrick (Atl), D, Chicago Wolves

Is going to receive a long look next year in training camp to make the NHL roster .. plays an aggressive game at both ends of the ice .. anticipates the puckcarrier's intentions well and has a knack for landing a stiff open-ice body check .. he sees the ice well and is a creative passer .. works the line well .. has a quickly released and accurate pointshot .. stride is a bit choppy but he owns a deceptive top gear.

Boris Valabik (Atl), D, Chicago Wolves

Difficult to beat one-on-one and in close, as his massive frame and long reach just engulfs the opposition .. his feet are good for a big man but his quickness while changing directions and lateral mobility need to be improved, as he can still be caught flatfooted and beaten with speed .. gets carried away at times, as he takes every check on himself personal and is prone to taking a bad penalty away from the play .. loves to talk trash and is a real presence out there.

.

Mark Popovic (Atl), D, Chicago Wolves

Has a one-way contract next season and it is going to be now or never for his NHL career .. possesses a strong stride with a good initial burst .. possesses adequate upper and lower body strength .. has a refined two-way game, as he moves the puck well and does an adequate job in his own zone.

Bryan Little (Atl), C, Chicago Wolves

Joined the Chicago Wolves for their last game in the second round .. surprisingly short but also very wide and stocky .. did not stand out in a positive way, as he struggled to manufacture offense and showed holes in his play without the puck that will need to be ironed out next season.

Carey Price (Mtl), G, Hamilton Bulldogs

After only playing two regular season games, Price performed marvelously carrying the Bulldogs to the Clarkson Cup Finals .. prototypical butterfly goaltender with good size, nimble feet, and rock-solid fundamentals .. mechanically flawless with a tight butterfly .. possesses exceptional feet and his lateral movement is superb from his stance and the butterfly .. recovers instantly from the butterfly back to his stance .. challenges the shooter aggressively and plays the angles well .. true showman with his lively glove .. patient and makes the shooter make the first move .. gets the most out of his big frame, as he covers the upper-half of the net even while in the butterfly with his shoulders .. does not hesitate to the play the puck and uses his strong wrists to emerge as an elite puck-moving goaltender .. rebound control is strong .. impossible to beat down-low on the first shot, as his feet touch both posts while standing up, only giving the shooter the five-hole, which he takes away in a heart beat .. allows the puck to hit him and never appears to be chasing it .. looks to have the talent to be a star and is oozing confidence .. his development this season has been staggering.

Kyle Chipchura (Mtl), C, Hamilton Bulldogs

Perceptive and gritty two-way center that is close to being ready for full time NHL duty .. underrated playmaker, as he sees the ice very well, displays fine creativity, and possesses crisp passing skills .. handles the puck softly .. covers the puck well in traffic .. adequate finisher, as he will dig around for a loose rebound and displays impressive patience with the puck in front .. seems to be able to find the back of the net when his team needs it most .. feet are fine, although he lacks explosiveness out of the gate and stride could be lengthened to benefit his top gear .. strong on his feet and excels in traffic .. has a lot of detail to his game .. strong in the faceoff circle and always maintains healthy defensive positioning .. think Curtis Brown with more hand skill and playmaking ability, but not as good of a skater.

Corey Locke (Mtl), C, Hamilton Bulldogs

Smart and skilled winger that has added some defensive ability to his repertoire this season .. possesses a fluid stride but he lacks explosiveness and a top gear .. possesses supple hands and intrinsic offensive ability .. not a tenacious player but he competes adequately and his defensive awareness has improved ten-fold since this time of the year last season .. has the look of a career-AHL star in the mold of a Darren Haydar.

Mikhail Grabovski (Mtl), LW, Hamilton Bulldogs

Appears smaller than listed although it is not a glaring issue .. skates low to the ice with a wide stride that gives him exceptional lateral agility and rapid acceleration .. possesses magnetic hands and dynamic one-on-one moves .. slippery down low .. does not hesitate to drive the net with the puck, although he is often ineffective at doing so .. stands out as an exceptional playmaker, as he can thread the needle through lanes that most cannot identify .. creative playmaker, although he passes the puck too much and still seems to be playing as if he is in Europe .. his defensive commitment is good but he still is raw in a positional sense.

Maxim Lapierre (Mtl), RW, Hamilton Bulldogs

Strong up-and-down winger but his offensive upside is limited .. feet are okay .. initial burst needs work but his speed is very good once he gains some momentum .. creates offensive opportunities for himself or his linemates through his vigorous work on the forecheck .. hard-working, two-way winger that is an asset to the penalty kill .. struggles to see the ice and lacks poise with the puck .. lowers his shoulder and drives the net well from time to time .. played with the Canadiens in the second half of the season, but will only benefit and improve his game with the Bulldogs' deep playoff run.

Matt D'Agostini (Mtl), LW, Hamilton Bulldogs

Possesses very quick and agile feet with swift acceleration and nippy lateral movement .. owns a very soft pair of mitts .. slippery and is wiry in the corners .. he sees the ice well and displays exceptional passing skills .. definitely a prospect to keep an eye on for his exceptional feet and skill.

Ryan O'Byrne (Mtl), D, Hamilton Bulldogs

Towering defenseman with intimidating size .. covers the crease area well and finishes his checks to be an adequate physical presence .. while he is not a fluid skater, his feet are quite good for a big man .. needs to make quicker decisions with the puck.